“From the professionalism to persevere on extended deployments like USS Miami to the enthusiasm
displayed when bringing USS New Mexico to life,
the Sailors and their supporting families make us what we are today—the preeminent undersea force in the world.”

RADM Cecil Haney, USN, Director, Submarine Warfare

Greetings from our nation’s capital! What an exciting year 2010 has been thus far, and even with multiple blizzards this past winter, the pace of action here has truly been remarkable. As we execute the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations Act, we are engaging the Congress regarding the Fiscal Year 2011 President’s Budget that was released along with the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) and the Fiscal Year 2011 30-Year Shipbuilding Plan. Each recognizes the continued value of the submarine force and the necessity for undersea dominance.

Similarly, the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) and the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) emphasize the importance of our SSBN force as a vital, strategic, national asset for deterrence. October will mark 50 years of strategic deterrent patrols by our submarine force, on the heels of last year’s celebration of the 1000th Ohio-class SSBN deterrent patrol. We have begun necessary research into advanced stealth technologies that will ensure the most survivable leg of our nation’s nuclear triad remains undetected through the 2080s (the expected lifetime of the Ohio-class replacement). The requirements process continues at full speed by the team of professionals here as this vital program moves toward its first major acquisition milestone. It is exciting to be at this point in the development of this essential capability.

Although in January we decommissioned one of our most successful attack submarines—USS Los Angeles (SSN-688)—after serving admirably for 33 years, we commissioned USS New Mexico (SSN-779) in March. New Mexico was delivered four months early and continues the trend for decreased production times. Given the success of the Virginia-class construction program, it is fantastic to see that the Fiscal Year 2011 President’s Budget fully supports increasing the production of Virginia-class submarines to two per year. This increased production is vital to our nation’s defense as the remaining 45 Los Angeles-class submarines reach the end of their service over the next two decades.

While we in D.C. continue to focus on providing the best undersea solutions to the fleet, this issue focuses on the people of the submarine force. From the professionalism to persevere on extended deployments like USS Miami (SSN-755) to the enthusiasm displayed when bringing New Mexico to life, the Sailors and their supporting families make us what we are today—the preeminent undersea force in the world. In his article, Force Master Chief David Lynch lays out the principles for mentoring the next generation of Submariners. Articles from the Naval Academy offer us a chance to reflect on the rigorous selection process of our submariners and the challenge of preparing Sailors to make rapid ethical decisions in stressful situations. Our historical article details a daughter’s search to learn about the life of her father, a World War II submariner. Those of us in service today strive to leave as rich a legacy for future generations.

For the N87 staff, I wish farewell to Capt. Brian Howes, Cmdr. Todd Weeks, Cmdr. Mike Granger, Lt. Cmdr. Stan Freemyers, Lt. Cmdr. Brett Levander, Lt. Dave Fernandes, Lt. Joe Petrucelli and Petty Officer 1st Class Martin Irlanda and welcome aboard Cmdr. Mike Kostiuk, Cmdr. Bob Greeson, and Lt. Brian Richards. This is the last issue of UNDERSEA WARFARE Magazine I have the opportunity to sponsor prior to transferring from N87 to become the Director, Naval Warfare Integration Group (N00X). I thank all of you for your tremendous service and support. Keep charging!